Insights

Filmmaker and digital artist Michael Burton, MFA, of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is known for blending film, animation, 3D digital costuming, and historical research to tell untold stories. In this iNNOVATION Insights episode, he shares how his innovative approach brings history to life—from recreating 19th-century Washington, D.C., to reuniting descendants of the Bell family—demonstrating the power of technology in preserving and sharing the past.

It was such a joy to interview Jennifer Rife for the iNNOVATION Insights Podcast. I have known Jennifer since my childhood in Lamar, Colorado, where she was a swim coach I admired deeply. Over the years, her journey has taken her from fiber art to land installations, where she seeks flow in the “middle of nowhere.” Our conversation reminded me how creativity is shaped by memory, environment, and bold leaps into the unknown